Contents

Introduction and Background

Introduction

In March 2015 a broad coalition of partners set out plans to
improve survival after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (
OHCA).
The main aims of the
OHCA
Strategy for Scotland are to save 1000 additional lives and train
500,000 people in Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (
CPR) by
2020. This will make Scotland a world leader in the management of
OHCA.

The
OHCA
Strategy is very much a Strategy for Scotland. It is an example of
public and voluntary services working together to achieve a common
aim. It was devised in a collaboration between the Scottish
Government, Scottish Ambulance Service, Scottish Fire and Rescue
Service (
SFRS),
Police Scotland, British Heart Foundation (
BHF), Chest
Heart & Stroke Scotland (
CHSS)
and Resuscitation Research Group, University of Edinburgh. Delivery
of the aims of the Strategy continues to involve these and many
more partner organisations as outlined in this report.

Background

When a person has a cardiac arrest the heart suddenly stops.
They will die within minutes unless treated.

Immediate response by the people present is essential - every
minute really counts.

Ordinary people save lives by taking effective action - calling
999; carrying out
CPR; and
using a defibrillator to restart the heart when available. This
action keeps the person alive until the medical support, an
ambulance, arrives.

This is the reason why working with the public in Scotland is
key and the priority in the initial stages of the
OHCA
Strategy. Recognising a cardiac arrest - calling 999 -
CPR and
defibrillation are central to saving lives.

OHCA is a
significant health challenge in Scotland and survival rates are low
compared to the European average. What is known is that it is
possible to change this situation and achieve parity with those
countries where
OHCA
survival rates are up to four times higher than Scotland.

The difference between a 'heart attack' and 'cardiac
arrest'?

A heart attack is a sudden interruption to the blood supply to
part of the heart muscle. It is likely to cause chest pain and
permanent damage to the heart. The heart is still sending blood
around the body and the person remains conscious and is still
breathing.

A cardiac arrest occurs when the heart suddenly
stops pumping blood around the body. Someone who is having a
cardiac arrest will suddenly lose consciousness and will stop
breathing or stop breathing normally. Unless immediately treated by
CPR this
always leads to death within minutes.

A person having a heart attack is at high risk of experiencing a
cardiac arrest.

Both a heart attack and a cardiac arrest are life-threatening
medical emergencies and require immediate medical help. Call 999 if
you think you are having a heart attack or if you witness someone
having a cardiac arrest.